A little over 12 months ago I invited a panel of CEOs to present on the topic of Building Winning Cultures and Business Values at Crown in Melbourne.
My biggest learning didn’t come from the four CEOs on stage but from an MD and mum in the audience. She said something profound that I will never forget.
My son’s Primary School Principal said his school has a very strong culture based on values. It works because there will be consequences if the values are not followed. It is not the severity of the consequences that matters, it’s the certainty.
Carmen Seredino
Big Corporate Black Hole – Building Business Values
Businesses are always keen to spend time and invest heavily on building their ‘corporate values’. Many companies even produce posters, coffee mugs and screen savers.
The sad reality is that Aussies have fine-tuned BS detectors. The detectors pick up the hypocrisy that is regularly shown – especially by leaders. Where does the values process fail?
Accountability
Accountability is like the oil dipstick in your car. You need to pull it out from time to time to see that you have enough oil in your engine to keep it running in tip top condition.
As mentioned by mum, Carmen “(the culture) works because there will be consequences if the values are not followed. It is not the severity of the consequences that matters, it’s the certainty”.
Team / Business culture is no different. Values are the dip stick to ensure your Professional Team remains in tip top running order.
MD Carmen Seredino and Executive GM Colin Ahern from IAG discuss the critical nature of being authentic with implementing business values
A Business Values Success Story
There are also many businesses that use values to their market advantage.
Paul Serong was one of my first corporate clients back in 1995. Then, Paul was second in charge of a significant business in the insurance field. Later he went on to fill the CEO role at that company and has since headed up several other companies as CEO.
Regularly Paul engaged Bridgeworks to work with his leadership teams.
His goal always was to ensure that his leaders worked collaboratively as One Professional Team. Respect diversity, expect candour, build trust, focus on a win-win end game.
At Bridgeworks Leadership breakfast, CAC CEO Paul Serong shared how his organisation established its value and then used the values to double its business over a short period of time.
Values are ‘The Heavy Lifters’
Paul is a great advocate of the power of business values. As Paul discovered over the years, when you weave them into the fabric of your organisation, values can do much of the heavy lifting when dealing with culture, relationships and personalities.
Values need to be practical, easily understood, built from the ground up and permeate all aspects of your business decision making – from recruitment to discipline.
This strategy has helped Paul’s organisation win several awards for delivery of service and customer satisfaction. All this of course, leads to profitability and high staff engagement. Paul also subscribes to the KISS rule. Here is a visual of his business values (on public display – https://www.cac.com.au/about-us)
All his staff built these values and sign their commitment to uphold what they represent.
Frustrated at Engaging Your People with Values?
Is your team struggling to work together?
And is it lacking accountability when it comes to attitudes and behaviours?
Or do you have challenges when it comes to managing conflict?
If any of these apply to your business or team,
Let’s chat!
Wayne Dyson, Bridgeworks – 0402 300 999
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